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Orthodontics Overview

What Encompasses Orthodontics?

Orthodontics is a part of dentistry that specializes in the prevention and treatment of dental and facial irregularities. The practice of orthodontics requires professional skills in the design, application and control of corrective appliances to bring teeth, lips and jaws into proper alignment and facial balance. Dentists are required to have an additional 2-4 years of full-time education for an orthodontic specialty degree.

Dr. Jacqueline Fulop-Goodling views a patient’s treatment program as a confidential relationship. Her patients become friends as they return to her practice visit after visit. She feels that it is important for her patients to experience a relaxing and comfortable environment, which in turn, leads to better results.

After the completion of her dental training and orthodontic residency at Boston University School of Dental Medicine, she assumed a professorship at the University and became Director of the Pre Doctoral Orthodontic Department. Dr. Fulop-Goodling has spent considerable time conducting research. She is invited to present lectures nationally and internationally, and is named in the Top 10 of all Orthodontists for Invisalign.

About Braces

Your dentist may have discussed with you the benefits of having healthy teeth and proper jaw alignment. Crooked and crowded teeth are hard to clean and maintain. This can result in tooth decay, worsen gum disease and lead to tooth loss.

Other orthodontic problems can contribute to abnormal wear of tooth surfaces, inefficient chewing function, excessive stress on gum tissue and the bone that supports the teeth, or misalignment of the jaw joints. These can lead to chronic headaches and face or neck pain. Treatment by an orthodontist can be less costly than the additional care required to treat dental problems arising as a result of orthodontic problems. For most people, a beautiful smile is the most obvious benefit of orthodontics. After your braces come off, you’ll feel more self-confident.

Metal Braces

Made of high-grade stainless steel and attached to the front of teeth, these are the most common. Some patients may complain about discomfort from metal brackets rubbing against the skin. If you experience any pain or discomfort, ask your dentist or orthodontist for some dental wax to place over the brackets.

Clear Ceramic Braces

These are worn on the front of the teeth just like traditional steel braces. Unlike metal braces, they blend with the color of the teeth for a much less noticeable appearance. They may look better but also may break more easily than metal braces.

Invisible Braces

A series of clear, customized, removable appliances called aligners. Not only are these braces invisible, but they also are removable so they won’t trap food and plaque between your teeth like metal braces. You’ll wear each aligner for about two weeks and only remove it for eating, brushing and flossing. This may be an option for individuals with mild spacing problems.

How Orthodontic Treatment Works

Orthodontic appliances can be made of metal, ceramic or plastic. They may be removable or they may be brackets bonded to the teeth. By placing a constant, gentle force in a carefully controlled direction, braces slowly shift teeth to a corrected position. This is a great time to wear braces! Gone are the days when a metal band with a bracket was placed around each tooth. You can choose brackets that are clear or metallic colors for a bit of fun. You can choose the color of the ties that hold the wire in brackets. Wires are also less noticeable than they used to be and the latest materials move teeth faster with less discomfort to patients.

Duration of Treatment

Treatment time typically ranges from one to three years, depending on the growth of the patient’s mouth and face and the severity of the problem. Patients grow at different rates and will respond variously to orthodontic treatment, so the time to case completion may differ from the original estimate. The patient’s diligent use of any prescribed rubber bands or headgear is an important factor in achieving the most efficient treatment. Interceptive, or early treatment procedures, may take as few as six months.

Braces for Kids

It’s best for the orthodontist to see children by age 7 to advise if orthodontic treatment is required and the best time for that patient to be treated. The first permanent molars and incisors have usually come in by that time and crossbites, crowding and other problems can be evaluated. When treatment is begun early, the orthodontist can guide the growth of the jaw and guide incoming permanent teeth. Early treatment can also regulate the width of the upper and lower dental arches, gain space for permanent teeth, avoid the need for permanent tooth extractions, reduce likelihood of impacted permanent teeth, correct thumb-sucking, and eliminate abnormal swallowing or speech problems. In other words, early treatment can simplify later treatment.

Braces for Adults

Orthodontic treatment can be successful at any age, and adults especially appreciate the benefits of a beautiful, healthy smile. One of every five patients in orthodontic treatment is over 21. Jaw surgery is more often required for adult orthodontic patients because their jaws are no longer growing. Adults also may have experienced some breakdown or loss of their teeth and bone that supports the teeth and may require periodontal treatment before, during and/or after orthodontic treatment. Bone loss can also limit the amount and direction of tooth movement that is advisable.

The latest reports indicate that 25% of all individuals or 1 million adults wear braces.

Benefits of braces for adults:

Reduce decay and gum disease due to crowding and other benefits, including:

Orthodontic Guide

The First Step

Your primary dentist may recommend at some time during your lifetime that you visit an orthodontist. This can make some patients nervous, but there is no need to be. Orthodontists are specialists that diagnose, treat and prevent dental irregularities. Orthodontists provide services such as braces, teeth whitening and cosmetic dentistry. Braces is specifically a common reason to visit the orthodontist office, since many people require assistance to align their teeth.

Now What?

After you have been recommended or have chosen to visit an orthodontist, these helpful tips will allow you to find the one that is best suited to your needs.

When and Should Your Child Have an Orthodontic Examination?

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that all children receive an orthodontic screening by age 7

Signs or Habits that Suggest The Need For Braces:

Early or late loss of baby teeth

Mouth breathing

Difficulty in chewing or biting

Thumb or finger sucking

Crowding, misplaced or blocked out teeth

Jaws that shift or make sounds

Biting the cheek or roof of the mouth

Teeth that meet abnormally or not all

Jaws and teeth that are out of proportion to the rest of the face

Orthodontic Emergencies

Emergency Care

As a general rule, an emergency appointment may be made when there is severe pain, a loose band, a broken wire or something sticking out that you can’t take care of. It’s important to know the names of the parts of your appliances. It will help, when you phone our office, to be able to identify what part is broken or out of place.

Loose Wire or Band

Don’t be alarmed if a wire or band comes loose. This happens occasionally. Dr. Jacquie Smiles provides orthodontic emergencies for her patients in Monroe. If a wire protrudes and is irritating, use a blunt instrument (back of spoon or the eraser end of a pencil) and carefully, gently push the irritating wire under the archwire. Simply get it out of the way. If irritation to the lips or mouth continues, place wax or wet cotton on the wire to reduce the annoyance. Call our office as soon as possible for an appointment to check and repair the appliances. If any piece comes off, save it and bring it with you to the office.

Sharp Aligner

Sometimes a new aligner may “dig” or be slightly uncomfortable causing some minor irritation on your gum tissue. Keeping an emery board handy and smoothing off the offended portion will keep you on track and keep you smiling more!

Loose or Broken Bracket

Brackets are the parts of braces attached to teeth with a special adhesive. They are generally positioned in the center of each tooth. If the bracket is off center, the adhesive may have failed. Hard foods can also dislodge brackets. Eating hard food or playing with your braces usually causes breakage. This isn’t an emergency, and if you are not experiencing discomfort or pain, you don’t need to come in to the office outside of your scheduled appointment. Simply leave a loose or broken bracket in place and cover with wax for comfort if needed. If the bracket comes out completely please bring it with you to your regular appointment and let one of Dr. Jacquie’s team members know about the issue you’re experiencing.

Sharp Wires

Occasionally, the wire in braces can stick out and irritate cheeks. Before leaving our offices, make sure the wires are not irritating you. If they are, let a staff member know. If the irritation starts later, push the wire back inside of the molar tube by using a pencil eraser or a cotton swab. You can also place a ball of wax on the wire as a temporary relief. You can also use clean nail clippers cleaned with rubbing alcohol and cut the wire yourself. If you are unable to resolve the issue, and the wire keeps bothering you, feel free to contact us.

Dislodged Wire

Occasionally during treatment, the wire could completely come out of the tube. If this happens, try to push it back into the tube with your hands or tweezers. If you are unsucessful, and the wire continues to bother you, give us a call.

Lost Elastic Over Bracket

If you notice that one of your elastic ties from around the bracket is missing, do not be alarmed as this is not an emergency. Keep your regular scheduled appointment and we will replace the ties when you come in.

AcceleDent Aura

AcceleDent Aura is a new treatment that is currently offered in our Monroe dental office to accelerate treatment times for braces and orthodontic appliances.

Instead of wearing traditional braces for up to two years, AcceleDent Auro may reduce the length of treatment for adults, teens and children to less than one year with faster orthodontics to help you adjust and straighten your teeth in no time.
AcceleDent is approved by the FDA and has been used by many patients worldwide. You can now speed up your tooth movement by up to 50% using this pain-free, easy appliance. Combined with existing orthodontic appliances like Invisalign, patients can use Acceledent Aura to potentially cut their treatment time in half since it is compatible with most types of braces.

How AcceleDent Aura Works

AcceleDent Aura works by inserting a special mouthpiece with the pulse activator for 20 minutes a day. It uses gentle micropulses, called SoftPulse Technology® allowing movement of your teeth. Fitted around your existing braces AcceleDent can speed up tooth movement decreasing the duration of your orthodontic treatment. This patented technology will very gently vibrate through your teeth and gums to gently move shift into position and accelerate tooth movement guided by your existing orthodontic appliance and treatments. In order for the Acceledent procedure to be effective, patients really need to commit to at least 20 minutes a day.

Using AcceleDent Aura

AcceleDent Aura is easy to use. Simply press the removable mouthpiece into the activator, bite down firmly enough to hold the device in place and turn it on. Relax while you watch TV, read a book or listen to music during the required 20 minutes to use AcceleDent Aura to function effectively.

Benefits

Numerous studies have demonstrated AcceleDent Aura benefits in safely speeding bone tooth movement when used as directed in conjunction with orthodontic treatment.

Acceledent Aura offers many benefits including:

Faster tooth movement without sacrificing aesthetics

Can be used with both teen and adult patients

May reduce your your orthodontic treatment time by 50%

It is lightweight and comfortable.

Hands-free design allows you the freedom to read, watch TV or complete work.

Candidates

An ideal AcceleDent Aura patient is someone who is interested in quickly obtaining the aesthetic, functional and health-related benefits of orthodontic care. If you are undergoing or preparing to undergo orthodontic treatment and are seeking a shorter treatment time span, AcceleDent may be right for you. Not all patients are candidates for AcceleDent due to individual factors. A consultation with Dr. Jacquie Smiles is required for anyone who is considering Acceledent.

With this new technology, Dr. Jacquie Smiles can provide orthodontic treatment options for correcting and straightening teeth much quicker than ever before for her patients in NYC and New Jersey!

To learn more about accelerated orthodontics treatment from AcceleDent Aura, please call our Monroe office at (845) 782-4288 and schedule a consultation today!

Orthodontics Overview

What Encompasses Orthodontics?

Orthodontics is a part of dentistry that specializes in the prevention and treatment of dental and facial irregularities. The practice of orthodontics requires professional skills in the design, application and control of corrective appliances to bring teeth, lips and jaws into proper alignment and facial balance. Dentists are required to have an additional 2-4 years of full-time education for an orthodontic specialty degree.

Dr. Jacqueline Fulop-Goodling views a patient’s treatment program as a confidential relationship. Her patients become friends as they return to her practice visit after visit. She feels that it is important for her patients to experience a relaxing and comfortable environment, which in turn, leads to better results.

After the completion of her dental training and orthodontic residency at Boston University School of Dental Medicine, she assumed a professorship at the University and became Director of the Pre Doctoral Orthodontic Department. Dr. Fulop-Goodling has spent considerable time conducting research. She is invited to present lectures nationally and internationally, and is named in the Top 10 of all Orthodontists for Invisalign.